Life of a Shadow II: Cold as December
by Hysteric Polaris
Summary: Eggman attempts to destroy Sonic. But it seems the Blue Blur and the Ultimate Life are an unstoppable team. Eggman soon finds a weakpoint he may not have to lift a finger to defeat them. R&R ShadowAmy KnuxRouge
1. Adjustment to a New Life

Life of a Shadow: Cold as December  
-GamerGirl  
  
Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Author's Note  
Short note. Read "The End is the Beginning" first. R&R, flames accepted.  
  
Chapter 1: Adjustment to a New Life  
"Umm, Amy?" A man asked.  
"Yes!" Amy answered from another room.  
"How does this shirt work again?"  
Amy sighed and headed into the man's room. "Here," she said. "Put your arms up." The man obeyed and Amy slid the shirt on over his head.  
"Why do I have to wear these again? I looked fine before."  
"I already explained this to you, Shadow! It's just more polite to wear clothes! Look at me! I wear clothes."  
"You never made Sonic wear clothes."  
"Don't you think I've tried? Now put on the pants." Shadow did so and looked into the wall mirror in his room.  
"I look funny." Shadow said. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a black tee shirt with a red stripe going across the middle.  
"No, you don't. You look great! I picked out the shirt specially to match your unique quills. I went through about five stores to find it, but I found it. Just trust me, you look fine." She said as she gave him a pat on the shoulder and left the room.  
Shadow continued to look in the mirror. 'I do look kinda good...' Then he began to make poses in the mirror. He began with innocent intimidating looks. Then, he started to add the arm movements. He was so embarrassed when Amy returned; he was in the position of using a Chaos Control.  
"You didn't see anything." Shadow said as he turned around and hid his arms behind his back, blushing slightly.  
She just gave him a smirk and left the room. "Breakfast's in 10!" She yelled to him. A few giggles were heard moments later.  
Shadow immediately ran down after her, well, more like skated down after her due to his jet shoes that closely resembled skates as he ran. When he caught up to her, she was already half way into the kitchen.  
"You didn't see anything, got it?" Shadow asked sternly.  
"And what if I did?" Amy responded.  
"Then I'll relentlessly attack you until you forget what you saw."  
"Oh yeah? How?"  
With that, Shadow stealthily snuck up behind her and wrapped one arm tightly around her arms and body so she was immobile. Then, with his other hand, he began to wiggle two of his fingers around the back of her neck. She laughed hysterically.  
"Stop!! Hehe," she laughed, "please! Stop- Hahahaha!!"  
"Not until you forget what you saw."  
"Okay, okay!! I don't remember a thing!" Satisfied, Shadow let up his attack and patted her on the head.  
"I think you've had enough torture for today. I'll make breakfast."  
"Okay, but do you know how?" Amy asked. She then began to envision her house if he screwed up.  
-Amy's thoughts-  
A towering inferno blazed in her mind, with fire fighters doing their best to shrink the flames. People were screaming everywhere as the flames spread to and devoured neighboring houses. Over 50 fire trucks were out there on the street in front of her house, while Shadow and herself were sitting on the curb across the street.  
Amy was sitting there, balling her eyes out into her hands while Shadow just sat there beside her with his arms resting on his knees. "I think I burnt our breakfast a little bit." Shadow says.  
-End of Amy's thoughts-  
"'Course."  
Amy shuddered. "Okay, I'll trust you." Amy lied.  
***MEANWHILE***  
"It's good to be back!" A sinister voice hissed evilly. "Now to destroy that blue hedgehog once and for all! But how?" The figure paced back and forth before the security monitors in his base. "I've got it!! I will use Metal Sonic! With a few upgrades, he'll be perfect for the job! No more failures for this genius! Soon, all will bow before me and my Eggman Empire!"  
He then gave a maniacal laugh before slamming his massive palm onto the console, apparently hitting a button. A blue hedgehog figure entered the room almost immediately. His metallic appearance easily gave away his identity and that his owner's.  
"Ah, Metal Sonic, my pet. How's about I give you a check-up?"  
Hours passed, maybe even an entire day. A genius doesn't time himself, or so Eggman might say. Metal Sonic sat up from a table that looked like one you might find in a Hospital. He looked normal, but he was upgraded with many destructive weapons.  
"Yes, follow me my metal companion. I wish to share my ingenious plans with you." Then, the two left the room and vanished within the cold, dark halls of the pyramid base. 


	2. Preparation

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 2: Preparation  
The next day, everything started off as usual for Shadow and Amy. They got up and had breakfast while Amy read the paper. Shadow just sort of sat there, fiddling with his spoon.  
"Hey! Look at this Shadow!" She held up an article in the paper that had a huge headline. It read, "Sonic Hedgehog Saves First National Bank!!" 'Do they really need two explanation points?' Shadow thought.  
"Look here," Amy commanded as she pointed out a specific line in the article. She then began to read it aloud, "Believed to be the work of one of the most notorious and dangerous bank robber this side of Station Square, the First National Bank was held up yesterday. Luckily, a close-by hero stopped him dead in his tracks and turned in the criminal. It took only one Spin Dash from Sonic the Hedgehog to save the day once again."  
"Yeah. So?" Shadow replied coldly.  
"So? So let's throw him a surprise party! It's not everyday he stops a notorious criminal as dangerous as this!"  
"It is for him." Shadow mumbled under his breath.  
"Well? What do ya' say?"  
"I say forget the party and have lunch."  
"Shadow!"  
"Fine! I'll help you with this whole party thing. But I'm not saying that I'll enjoy it."  
"Thank you so much!" Amy gave Shadow a big hug before leaving the room and grabbing her coat. As for Shadow, he just blushed a bit and got up.  
"Where ya' going?"  
"Shopping!! C'mon, let's go!" She then grabbed his hand forcefully and dragged him outside. They then began silently walking down the street. Amy, though, had a huge smile on her face and seemed a little more perky about this trip than usual.  
"Amy? Why are you so happy about this? I mean, we're just going shopping, right?"  
"Yes! I love shopping! Today we're going to the mall though, and there, the selection is infinite! Did I mention that I love shopping?" They just continued on to the store, very quietly, but in Amy's case, very perkily. Once inside, Amy handed Shadow a cell phone.  
"Okay, Shadow. I want you to call these people," she handed him a list of names and numbers, "and tell them about the party." Amy then explained how to use the phone. "Just tell them that I'm having it tomorrow around noon, it will be at Sonic's place, and to bring gifts. Okay?"  
"Yeah, whatever. What about you. Where you going?"  
"I'm going to shop for party supplies. Just wait here until I'm done."  
"Okay." Then Shadow called up Tails as Amy left.  
"Hello?"  
"Tails?"  
"Yes?"  
"You're invited to some party Amy's throwing. Wanna come?"  
"Sure, what are the specs?"  
"Tomorrow, noon, Sonic's place, bring a gift."  
"Okay. Bye."  
"Bye."  
Click. Silence. Click. Dial Tone. Number sounds. Phone ringing.  
"Hello?"  
"Knuckles?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I didn't even know you had a phone on Angel Island."  
"Neither did I."  
"Oh, before I forget, you're invited to some party Amy's throwing."  
The conversations just continued like this until everyone was called and accounted for. Then, Amy showed up. Or at least, Shadow thought it was Amy. It looked more like a walking pile of fancily designed boxes.  
"Okay Shadow. Let's go!" he heard the boxes say.  
"Sure, but maybe I should carry some of these for you. You're gonna end up banging into a tree."  
"Thanks again Shadow." She said as Shadow took a few boxes off the top.  
"Is all this really necessary?"   
"Yes. Okay, now we head home. Here's the plan. Around noon tomorrow, I go over to Sonic's place and take him out for lunch." Shadow didn't seem to like this plan much right now. Jealousy began to brew within Shadow at that remark. "Then, when we leave, you come over and get everyone situated and hidden, then turn out the lights. When we come in, turn on the lights and shout "Surprise!". Got it?"  
"Umm, okay."  
"And, you have to decorate his house with these decorations before we get there."  
"You mean like, whomp it with toilet paper, only instead I'm gonna be using streamer and other colorful, shiny junk?"  
"Yep, pretty much."  
"Okay then." Then they just got back to the house and waited until the next day when Sonic would be thrown the ultimate party by his biggest fangirl. 


	3. The Blue Blur's Big Bash

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 3: The Blue Blur's Big Bash  
The next day, around 11:30, Amy set off.  
"See ya' Shadow! Remember our plan?" Amy asked as she grabbed her purse.  
"Yeah, yeah. See you later Amy."  
"Bye!" Then she gave Shadow a peck on the cheek before heading out the door.  
"Bye..," Shadow replied nervously. 'Why does she have to go and do that? I hate blushing...' "Now to head over to Sonic's pad." He then got up, took a deep breath, and headed over to the house. On the way, Shadow saw Knuckles and Rouge walking down the street hand in hand.  
"Yo! Knuckles!" Shadow yelled to him. 'Whoa, did I say that?'  
"Hey Shadow. Just headin' over to the party early."  
"No! You can't. See, it's a surprise party and Amy has to get the faker out of the house first so I can whomp- I mean, decorate it. I just gotta wait a short distance away from his house so I sneak go in once he leaves."  
"You've had a lot of time to plan this, haven't you?" Rouge asked.  
"Not really. Amy came up with it yesterday."  
"And you're gonna let Amy- listen to me closely Shadow, Amy -take Sonic out to lunch. You really wanna get rid of her that badly?" Knuckles butted in.  
"No! I completely trust her. She fell out of that silly crush already, remember?" Shadow retorted.  
"Yeah, yeah. But if you ask me, that girl can't fall out of a crush." Knuckles stated as he folded his arms.  
"Whatever," Shadow said, growing bored of this pointless argument.  
Finally, the gang was about a block from Sonic's house and he and Amy were plainly in sight. Amy was talking to Sonic, then the two just walked off in the opposite direction of his house.  
"Okay, now let's go; slowly and quietly." Shadow commanded. Knuckles, Shadow and Rouge then began to tiptoe slowly to Sonic's house, with Sonic and Amy still walking away and chatting. Just then, Shadow noticed Sonic put his arm around Amy. This infuriated him and he stopped walking. Shadow just stared at the two with eyes full of hatred. He then felt a hand grip his arm and heard Rouge whisper to him.  
"C'mon!"  
"Told ya'." Knuckles told Shadow proudly.  
"SHUT UP!" Shadow whispered as loud as he could. Then he threw a punch at Knuckles, but Rouge caught it.  
"No arguments!! Let's go!!" Rouge also whispered loudly.  
"Fine," Shadow growled.  
Once they got into Sonic's house, Shadow ripped out many rolls of streamer.  
"Take THIS!" Shadow yelled as he threw several rolls of streamer across the room and into the wall. One roll actually went through it. He just continued throwing them around the room angrily. When he got to the other decorations, he just tossed them around too. As far as the party hats and other stuff they were supposed to wear, Shadow had crushed his sets. 'I never should've let her go with him!!!'  
"Man dude, calm down." Knuckles suggested. Just then, Tails walked in.  
"Hey guys!" He said. Shadow just turned to him and gave him an evil glare. "Uhh, maybe I should go,"  
"No, you can stay. Shadow's just a little ticked that Amy left him for Sonic." Knuckles informed.  
"SHE DID NOT!!"  
"Face it man, you lost."  
"SHUT UP!!"  
"Look Shadow, maybe you should go outside for a minute. Take a breather." Rouge interrupted.  
"Yeah, I will. Thanks Rouge." With that, Shadow walked outside after giving Knuckles an evil glare.  
About 5 minutes later, Shadow saw a blue figure approach the house. He got back inside and warned everyone about him coming, apparently calmed down. The lights were then turned out, and everyone was hidden. Mere seconds later, the man of the hour arrived, alone.  
"SURPRISE!!!" Everyone shouted, coming out of hiding. They were the ones surprised when Sonic didn't respond.  
Sonic only muttered something barely audible mechanically, "Area scanned. Target not found. Obstacles... DESTROY."  
Suddenly, a huge laser erupted from his stomach and headed straight for Rouge. She jumped out of the way, but the laser nicked her wing.  
"Oww..." Rouge whimpered as she gripped her wing and shut her eyes lightly in pain. The next thing she felt was the empathetic warmth of her echidna friend. "Thanks, but it's nothing really.."  
"What I wanna know is why Sonic shot at you, and where the shot came from. He isn't holding any weapons." Knuckles stated.  
"Because that's not Sonic!! It's Metal Sonic! But I don't remember him having that kind of equipment." Tails informed.  
Shadow was silent in all of this, until now. First, he curled up and spin dashed out from behind the sofa. Shadow ended up slamming into Metal Sonic, knocking him to the ground. Before Shadow could get close enough to make another attack, Metal Sonic had knocked him to the ground by kicking Shadow in the chest with his massive metal foot. Winded, Shadow got up and tried Home Attacking the metallic monstrosity. But Metal Sonic countered by slashing the flying ball with his now extremely sharp claws. Shadow was down, but not out. Just then, Shadow had noticed something, he had drawn blood. He already felt like he was paralyzed and couldn't get up, then he thought of something.  
"Knuckles.... Toss me a... Chaos Emerald...." Shadow gasped.  
Without question, an emerald landed in Shadow's open hand. "CHAOS....CONTR-" before he could finish, Metal Sonic quickly hovered up to him and kicked him, hard, across the room. Not only did he draw more blood, but the Chaos Emerald had fallen from his grasp, somewhere near Rouge.  
Once again, the door opened, only to reveal the real Sonic and Amy. Amy just looked around terrified, hiding behind her former hero. Just then, she noticed Shadow, lying against the wall across the room with many open wounds.  
"SHADOW!" Amy yelled as she sprinted over to her friend.  
"Amy, stay HERE!" Sonic said as he reached out to grab her arm and catch her; but he missed. She had already reached Shadow and was crying while trying to help him up.  
"Amy! Look out!" Was all Shadow could whimper before Metal Sonic prepared to blast her. When he fired, it was redirected through the floor as Sonic Spin Dashed the monster. Metal Sonic then fell over and Rouge tossed Shadow the emerald. "CHAOS CONTROL!!!" Shadow shouted as Metal Sonic disintegrated in the blast. 


	4. Truths Told and Retold

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 4: Truths Told and Retold  
(A/N: Very sappy content warning #1!!)  
"Ohh, Shadow, are you all right?" A worried Amy asked Shadow. "I'm so sorry we didn't get here sooner."  
"Yeah, I'm fine. And that's okay, it wasn't your fault." He said as Amy helped him up.  
"So, I take it you were going to throw me a party." Sonic said as he looked around his decorated yet damaged home.  
"Yeah, it was Amy's idea ya' know." Shadow replied, glaring at Sonic. "If you asked me, you didn't deserve it."  
"Shadow!" Amy said as she nudged Shadow's arm lightly in disagreement. He just continued to glare at Sonic.  
"Uhh, why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?" Sonic asked.  
"Darn right, you did." Shadow retorted. He then approached Sonic slowly.  
"Shadow? What're you doing?" Amy asked worriedly.  
"Oh, it's okay. Shadow's been like that since you started hitting on Amy. You know, when you left for lunch and you put your arm around her?" Knuckles stated.  
"Is that what this is about?" Amy asked.  
"Yes!" Shadow said, turning to her.  
"Well, if that's all, I have an explanation." Amy stated proudly.  
"It better be good." Shadow said, turning back to Sonic and holding up a fist.  
"Oh, it is. You see, Sonic was pointing something out to me that was to my right. He just so happened to point at it with his right arm from behind me, giving you the idea that his arm was around me." Amy said.  
"Oh, well, then, sorry about your wall." Shadow said, feeling a bit foolish.  
"No prob bud, I'll just send you the bill." Sonic replied.  
"Don't worry Shadow! I probably would've done the same thing if I thought I saw you doing something like that with Rouge or someone else." Amy empathized.  
"Although I highly doubt that happening." Rouge added.  
"Uhh, thanks, I guess." Shadow replied.  
"Well, now that everything's settled, let's have Sonic's party!" Tails suggested.  
***  
"Darn it!!" Eggman cursed at himself for another unacceptable defeat. "There's got to be a way I can beat that hedgehog! Wait, as I recall, Metal Sonic did quite well against Shadow. In fact, if Sonic didn't come in and help, Shadow and Sonic would be dead now!!" He continued, laughing maniacally. "On top of that, the way Shadow acted when he thought Amy left him was amazing! He almost killed Sonic himself!!  
"All I have to do is get the timing right and make another Metal for them to tackle. I think a Metal Tails would be intriguing. Or maybe I could try a Metal Rouge? Maybe, I doubt they'd hit a girl at first glance. I'll keep that under my 'future good ideas' list. Hmm, Metal Shadow? Nah, Everyone seems to detest him anyway. They'd kick his butt even if he wasn't a robot. A Metal Amy? Yes!! The weakness of both heroes!!! Perfect! On top of that, if I can make like an organic clone, that would be wonderful!! Haha!! Perfect!" Eggman continued to laugh as he began his work on a Metal Amy prototype.  
***  
After the party, everyone was heading home; Tails stayed though, sleeping over at Sonic's to watch movie marathons all night; Knuckles left with Rouge and Shadow left with Amy.  
"Did you really think that I was falling for Sonic again?" Amy asked Shadow.  
"No." Shadow lied.  
"C'mon, if I didn't explain myself, you and Sonic would be in full body casts now!"  
"No. 'Cause I would have won. He would've been the only one in any casts."  
"Yeah right." Amy replied as she playfully shoved him and latched onto his arm.  
"What about you? If you thought I was cheating on you with Rouge, would you really have done what I did?"  
"Now, this is only hypothetical?"  
"Of course. I mean, why in the world would I when I've got you?" She just gave him a smile and blushed before responding.  
"Then yeah, probably."  
"Okay."  
Silence.  
A little while later, they reached the house and got ready to go to bed. Shadow slept in the same room that Amy gave him when he recovered from the fall to Earth, which was upstairs and Amy slept in the room next to Shadow's.  
After Amy got into her nightgown, she went into Shadow's room. He was just sitting on his bed, looking much like he did when he first sat on that bed. She noticed this and came in, taking a seat next to him, looking at his drooped head.  
"Oh, hello. Didn't see you there Amy." Shadow said as he took a glimpse at her. "Nice nightgown." It was a long sleeved, pink (go figure) silk nightgown.  
"Thanks." Silence. "You know... I really wouldn't leave you for anyone else."  
At this, Shadow looked up at her. She then leaned down and quickly kissed him on the lips lightly before leaving for her own room. "Good night, Shadow." She said as she took one last glimpse at him and turned out the lights. She then left his room and went to her own room to fall into the sweet embrace of sleep.  
"Good night.., Angel." Shadow whispered. 


	5. Meeting Metal Amy

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 5: Meeting Metal Amy  
Later that night, at Amy's House, the supposedly locked front door was picked at and opened. Seconds later, a silent intruder entered the house. The uninvited guest slowly and silently crept over to and up the stairs. He passed right by Shadow's room, glancing in for a second at the sleeping hero. Then the intruder walked up to Amy's room. He walked in, stepped up to Amy's bed, pulled back the covers, and pulled out a little bottle and a cloth.  
He carefully poured some of the bottle's contents onto the cloth and slowly lowered it onto the sleeping maiden's face. When her nose and the cloth made contact, Amy bolted awake and screamed a muffled scream as loud as she could, "Shadow!!!"  
With that, she fainted to the effects of the chemicals and was carried silently through the open window.  
Shadow's ears twitched at the muffled scream, and he flew awake. In mere milliseconds he was in her room before her bed. "What's wrong?"  
"I had a bad dream." Answered someone from beneath the blankets. "It's nothing really. Sorry to wake you."  
"It's no problem. Want me to stay in here and keep you company until you fall back asleep?"  
"No thank you. Thanks for the offer though."  
"Okay, good night then." Shadow said as he left back for his room and fell back asleep.  
"Good night." The figure said as it sat up to reveal itself. It was the Metal Amy. Surprisingly, she looked remarkably like the real Amy, the only flaw was that her false skin was cold as metal due to her metallic skeleton. She began to laugh coldly and silently to herself for being able to trick that fool, Shadow. He was so gullible and weak when it came to Amy. Yes, he would be easy to break, first his heart, then his body.  
The next morning, she awoke and went downstairs. 'Good, the fool's not yet awake.' She quickly wrote him a note and left the house.  
Later, Shadow awoke and also went downstairs, only to find a note on the kitchen table.  
  
Dear Shadow,  
I'm going over to Sonic's for a while. If you wanna, you can meet me there. See ya'!  
-Amy   
  
"Okay then. I'll just make myself some breakfast and head over there." In seconds he was out the door and heading down the street. When he arrived, he found "Amy" kissing Sonic. He felt his heart break, but he didn't shed any tears.  
"What the-?! I doubt you have an excuse this time Amy!!" Shadow screamed in a rage.  
"You're right! I don't. Except for the fact that I love Sonic. I just couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again." She then looked into Sonic's eyes and kissed him again. This whole time, Sonic was just standing there, he looked a little worried, but didn't say anything in the long run. Sonic was just standing there, frozen in a state of shock, almost like a deer looking into car headlights. Amy had pinned him against the wall forcefully, and Sonic certainly wasn't returning the kisses. He was like a mannequin that could blink every once in a while.  
Shadow was in a rage. He just left the building and ran, really fast, really far; hoping to outrun the pain he felt in his heart.  
"Wait, Shadow!! It isn't what it looks like!!!" Sonic yelled as he recovered from the shock.  
"Don't worry Sonic, it's just us now.." Amy said.  
"Am I the only one that sees that as a bad thing?" Sonic retorted.  
***  
'Run, just run, if I run, it'll be as if nothing ever happened. If I run away, everything will return to normal. Everything's fine, just keep running...' Shadow thought as he ran. 'Wait, maybe if I defeat Sonic, Amy will come back to me. If I show her that I'm better, If I prove myself, maybe...' With that last thought, Shadow stopped running. Then he slowly turned around, and ran all the way back to Sonic's house.  
When he arrived, Sonic was once again under Amy's power, literally. He was sitting on the couch and she was sitting on his lap, arms around his neck.  
"Thank god you're back Shadow-" Sonic began.  
"I know. I'm gonna settle this once and for all, faker." Shadow replied.  
"What do you mean? You gotta-" Sonic asked.  
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough." Shadow replied as he threw a punch at Sonic so hard that he was sent straight through the back of the couch and into the wall.  
Amy had gotten up just in time and left the house to leave Shadow and Sonic to their brawl.  
***  
"YES!!" Eggman screamed. "My plan's finally working! At this rate, Sonic won't live past tonight!! Haha!!" He was overjoyed. In the meantime, a crying figure sat tied up in rope next to him.  
Silent tears fell from the damsel's face as she watched the fight on the monitors. It was the real Amy. She was not only crying for her crush and her love, but for herself. She felt so bad she had to let them go through this. She felt even worse that she was once again captured; that she was once again the tool. She would always be seen as the weakest link, always be captured. She always felt weak and powerless. Like Shadow and so many others, she hated that feeling. Why couldn't for once, she be the hero? She be the savior of another? But it was but a mere dream, especially now. The two most beloved people in her life were about to die at each others hands and it was all her fault. There was nothing she could do.  
"Doctor." Metal Amy called as she entered the main control room through the double doors behind Eggman. "Everything went according to plan." Still observing the brawl, Amy noticed that Sonic wasn't fighting back; it was then that she finally understood what Eggman was planning to do.  
"And according to plan, after Sonic's dead and out of the way, what are you going to do?" Eggman giddily asked, full of anticipation.  
"Destroy the Ultimate Life." 


	6. Realization

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 6: Realization  
"Shadow! Would you let up?? I can explain everything!!" Sonic said as he dodged another punch from Shadow.  
"Explain? Let me guess, you pointed at something behind her with your mouth?!" With that, he kicked Sonic right into the back wall.  
"No! It was nothing like that!! She was-" Sonic gasped as Shadow kneed him in the stomach. Winded, Sonic got up. Shadow tried throwing another punch but Sonic caught it this time, catching his breath. "LISTEN TO ME, YOU HARD-HEADED JERK!! AMY-"  
"NO!" Shadow just wouldn't listen. There was no way he would let up his attack unless he knew the truth, but how could he when he wouldn't even let Sonic explain himself? All Sonic could do now was defend himself until Shadow became tired and/or decided to listen; and with the stubbornness Shadow was capable of, that could take a pretty long time.  
***  
"Hey Rouge, I promised Sonic I'd go over there today and help him and Tails fix up the Tornado. Wanna come?" Knuckles asked as he placed the Master Emerald in its shrine.  
"Sure, Knuckles. Just let me put on some make-up." Rouge called back, opening her compact.  
"Why? You look beautiful now."  
"C'mon, just let me put it on anyway." She responded, blushing.  
Minutes later, they were gliding off for Sonic's house. When they got there, they heard the shatter of glass so Rouge peeked in.  
"Well, Tails isn't here yet." Knuckles pointed out. Rouge just stood there, staring into the window with shock. "What's wrong?" He asked her. She just pointed inside and what was there surprised them both; Sonic and Shadow kicking the crap out of each other. Sonic was pretty bruised up too.  
"Oh my gosh! We have to stop them!!" Rouge yelled as she ran in and grabbed Shadow from behind. "Shadow!!! Stop!"  
Knuckles had walked in also, grabbing Sonic. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm not the one that needs to be put under control." Sonic explained. Knuckles then let go of him.  
"LET GO OF ME!!" Shadow cried, struggling in Rouge's grip.  
"Only if you calm down!!" Rouge responded.  
"NO! I HAVE TO BEAT SONIC!!"  
"But why?"  
"Why should I tell you?!"  
"Just tell me Shadow!"  
"Fine," Shadow said as he stopped struggling. "Whatever will get you off me."  
"Now tell us; why are you trying to kill Sonic?"  
"I came in and Sonic was kissing Amy."  
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! SHE WAS-" Sonic butted in.  
"Sonic! Let Shadow tell his side of the story! Continue Shadow." Rouge refereed.  
"Thank you." Shadow said. "As I was saying, the faker was kissing Amy when I walked in. Then Amy told me... She told me..."  
"What?"  
"She told me that she had fallen in love with Sonic all over again."  
"Told you." Knuckles inferred. Shadow directed an angry glare at him.  
"But, she wouldn't, she knows how much you like her." Rouge mentioned.  
"Oh, yeah? Well I'm willing to bet it was all Sonic's fault in the first place." Shadow blamed.  
Before Sonic could retort, Rouge spoke. "Playing the blame game isn't gonna help the situation! Now Sonic, tell your side."  
"Well," Sonic began, "my story's the exact same thing as his, except for one thing; AMY was kissing ME!! I didn't tell her to or force her in any way! Come to think of it, she was a lot stronger than usual, and her kisses were kinda cold..."  
"Just what I'd expect a jerk like you to say!!" Shadow yelled.  
Just then, Tails walked in. "Hey Sonic! Ready to fix the-?" He glanced around at the scene before him. "I take it our plans were canceled."  
"Yeah, kinda." Sonic admitted.  
"Listen, Tails?" Rouge asked.  
"Yes?"  
"Can you watch these two to make sure they don't kill each other? Me and Knuckles have somewhere to go."  
"Sure, I guess."  
"Thanks. C'mon Knuckles." With that, Knuckles and Rouge left the building and glided away.  
"Why'd we leave them with Tails? Tails can't possibly hold them back!!" Knuckles said.  
"He can hold them back long enough." Rouge replied as they glided.  
"So, you got his whole thing figured out, huh?"  
"Yep."  
"So who done it?"  
"My guess is that it was Eggman with a Metal in the Pyramid Base."  
***  
The two former treasure hunters had finally reached their destination and entered stealthily. "Okay," Rouge began, "If I know Eggman, he's probably in the central control room right now. Amy and her Metal will be in there too, surveying the fight between Sonic and Shadow."  
"First Rouge, tell me. How did you figure out that it was a Metal Amy?"  
"Well, the attack by Metal Sonic a few days ago was the first clue. The next was the fact that Amy would never do a thing like that to Shadow-"  
"If she wouldn't, then why was Shadow crazy about this whole thing?"  
"He was blinded by jealousy. And as I was saying, the third clue was the fact that Sonic said that Amy was stronger and had cold lips."  
"Oh, okay. So what's the plan?"  
"Okay, when we get there, you distract Metal Amy and Eggman while I grab Amy. We'll run out of there once we get her."  
"Won't they follow us?"  
"That's part of the plan. You see, once we reach Sonic's house, you and Tails will hold off Eggman and the Metal while I get Amy to explain everything to Shadow and Sonic. Once everything's cleared up, they'll take care of the Metal and Eggman."  
"Great plan Rouge. Only one question; why am I the decoy?!"  
"Because you're so darn cute." Rouge said as she touched Knuckles' face. Once he started to blush, she stopped and continued seriously. "And because you're the only other person here who can."  
"Oh, fine."  
"That's better, now let's go!" With that, the two left for the control room. 


	7. Soothing the Savage Beast

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 7: Soothing the Savage Beast  
"Okay, here we are." Rouge whispered as she and Knuckles approached the central control room double doors. She then put her large, yet sensitive ears lightly to the door. Inside, she heard Eggman and a woman's voice; no doubt Metal Amy's. "They're in there, it was a Metal Amy. On three, you run in and lure Eggman and the Metal out. Ready? One, two... THREE!"  
At three, Knuckles ran in and waved both his hands above his head. "Look at me!! Can't catch me, Robutnik!" Knuckles dared as he turned around and shook his behind at Eggman. With that, he left the room and ran the fastest he'd ever run in his life.  
"KNUCKLES!!! METAL AMY! CAPTURE HIM AND KILL THAT PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A LIVING BEING!!" Eggman roared, getting out of his seat. He looked as if he was about to run with Metal after she pursued Knuckles, but he just sat back down and turned to face the monitors; switching them to "View Halls" mode and preparing to view the pain Knuckles would sustain when his Metal ripped him to shreds.  
As Knuckles had passed through the doors and past Rouge, she heard him whisper to himself in triumph, "Yes! I've been waitin a long time to do that!" When Rouge saw the Metal pursue him and heard Eggman's screams of rage, she knew she'd have to help Knuckles and soon. Eggman seemed awfully consumed by the display on the monitors, so Rouge just tiptoed in and approached Amy.  
Before Amy could make a sound, Rouge put a finger to her lips, signaling to Amy to be quiet. Amy nodded her head in understanding as Rouge lifted her into the air by one the many ropes entangling her and silently floated Amy out of the room.  
Once Rouge had gotten out of the room and clearly out of Eggman's reach, she whispered to Amy, "It's so beneficial having wings."  
Then, Rouge ran. She ran as fast as she could realizing that Eggman or his 'bots could be in hot pursuit of them at any second. Eventually, she made it outside and began to run for Sonic's place, seeing Knuckles gliding away from a flying Metal Amy in the distance. When she too had to glide, she used her wings to give her an extra boost and catch up to Knuckles.  
"Knuckles!!" Rouge cried from behind him. He glanced behind himself for a mere second, not wanting to slow down in fears that the Metal would catch up.  
"Hey Rouge. I see Eggman's role in your plan's pretty much trashed."  
"Yeah, then again, that lazy nobody wouldn't have gotten up even if there was a free all-you-can-eat-buffet available a few feet away."  
Knuckles laughed at this comment. "So, Amy all right?" Rouge glanced down at her organic luggage.  
"Looks fine to me, but there's no way of knowing for sure unless I stopped and pulled the gag from her mouth."  
"Don't bother. I'm pretty sure she's used to this by now."  
"I know, I just hope she doesn't mind. I really don't want to make her too uncomfortable. I mean, this whole thing isn't exactly her fault."  
Amy was, unbeknownst to them, listening to their conversation. She was glad that she at least had a friend in Rouge.  
***  
Tails was busy holding back a struggling Shadow by the arms as Sonic was calmly sitting on the couch.  
"They better get back soon, I don't know how much longer I can hold Shadow back." Tails mentioned. Then, as if on cue, Rouge burst through the door holding a hog tied Amy. Although Shadow was mad at Amy right now, he couldn't help feeling the slightest bit sorry for her.  
"Quick... Sonic.... Help me untie.... Amy," Rouge asked between breaths, winded because of running from Metal Amy. Even though Sonic was a bit upset with Amy too, he helped. Soon, she was untied and able to move and breathe freely again. The first thing she did was run over to Shadow and hug him tightly, crying into his shirt. All Shadow did though was hold his arms away from her, refusing to touch her or even look at her  
At this motion, Amy looked up at him. "Shadow..?" She asked weakly. "Why...?" She couldn't even finish her sentence. Looking at the way he was treating her now just made her cry more and fall to the ground in a tear covered heap.  
"Shadow!! Don't treat her like that! The Amy you saw kissing Sonic was a Metal built by Eggman!! This is the real Amy! She's been held captive in Eggman's base for god knows how long and she doesn't need this now! And if you don't believe me, look outside!!" Rouge screamed. No one thought she could get that upset. Actually, she too was crying; not as much as Amy, but there were silent tears.  
Not being a believer just yet, he looked outside and saw Knuckles getting his butt kicked by Amy. Upon that Amy's face though was a wicked smile, a smile he knew his Amy would never make. Then, he looked back at the crying pink heap in the center of Sonic's home and put on an expression that surprised everyone. He looked like he was about to cry.  
He ran up to Amy and fell to the ground next to her, gripping her in the most powerful yet delicate hug Amy had ever felt. She knew he was saying "I'm sorry" when a tear slid down his cheek and into her pink hair. Amy hugged back and whispered, "I told you I'd never leave you Shadow." No one else heard, but Shadow did; and that's all that mattered.  
Soon enough, Shadow got up, a stern look upon his face. Amy was right behind him and stood there, looking down.  
"Sonic, first of all, I'm sorry." Shadow began.  
"That's okay, none of us knew for sure, but you're still paying for the damages." Sonic replied.  
"Don't interrupt Sonic, there's no time. Now, Sonic, Rouge, Tails, go out and help Knuckles take care of Metal Amy. I'll be out there in a second. There's something I need to take care of first. Well, what are you waiting for?! Help fight Metal Amy!!" With that, everyone but Tails left through the front door to fight Metal Amy. Tails had headed out the side window and into the garage to grab his Tornado. He wasn't going to run, instead, he was going to activate his Tornado's Walker mode and fight along side the heroes.  
Meanwhile, Shadow and Amy were still in the house.  
"Look, Amy, I didn't mean to beat up Sonic or reject you in any way when you returned. I just didn't know that you had a double, if I did, I would've saved you before you could say "Chaos Control"." Shadow explained.  
"I know Shadow. But couldn't you tell that it wasn't me? Didn't she seem different in any way?"  
"Well, yes, but I was so blinded by jealousy at the time, I just... well, I didn't even pay attention to my feelings. And I am so sorry for that Amy Rose. I just feel so terrible. I feel like I've hurt you in so many ways and what hurts me most is that I know I can't take any of it back. I wanna make you feel better Amy, but I don't know how I can."  
"I know a way."  
"How?"  
"Well, everything you said pretty much did the trick, but I need you to do one more thing; get outside and beat that Amy!"  
"I love you Amy Rose."  
"And I love you too, but there's an evil me outside that needs stopping, and your our only hope. So take this and get out there, hero!" Amy encouraged as she gave Shadow a big kiss on the lips.  
Without another word said between the two, Shadow walked outside and prepared for battle. 


	8. Metallic Downfall

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 8: Metallic Downfall  
(A/N: Knuckles POV)  
I've just landed, Rouge is running inside. I hope the guys come out soon, I don't know if I can hold this thing off for very long. I got into fighting stance, but she just stood there. I charged at her, fist drawn back, but she just stood there. When I reached her, I punched, and she just ducked, upper cutting me in the stomach while she was in that vicinity. I landed a few feet away, on my back. She began to walk up to me, so I got ready to jump feet first into the air and land standing up. When she got close enough, I directed the move right at her stomach. Being metal and all, it didn't wind her, she just was knocked down. So I got up and charged at her, preparing to kick her like a football, but when I got there, she grabbed my foot and lifted me into the air. Then, she turned me around so that my face was facing her and she slashed at my stomach with her sharp claws, wounding me. I clutched the wound with my gloved hands, eyes closed. Next, I felt like my lungs had burst as she punched me right in the stomach with those iron weights she called hands. I couldn't breathe for what seemed like minutes. Once I was at least able to breathe again, she dropped me in front of her. I was just hoping the attack would let up or that, if she were to continue, that she'd just kill me and get it over with. The pain was so unbearable. 'I don't think I can fight anymore... I'm sorry guys...'  
(A/N: Sonic's POV)  
As I ran outside, like Shadow requested, there stood the metal terror, and Knuckles was at her feet. He had labored breathing and many wounds. She was about to finish off the Guardian with a powerful focused laser blast when I Home Attacked her off guard, knocking her down. I knew none of my average attacks would work, let alone do any damage to her, so I figured that I'd outsmart the robot instead.  
Just then, I noticed Rouge right behind me, nearly flooding in her own tears. She just ran ahead of me trying to reach Knuckles, but of course, I stopped her.  
"What're you doing?! Knuckles needs help!! Can't you see?" Rouge cried. There was no way she could help fight Metal Amy in this emotional state.  
Moments later, Tails ran in from the side of the house. "Buddy, istract-day etal-may my-ay!" I called to him.  
"Okay Sonic!" He responded. He ran his Tornado behind Metal Amy and shot at her relentlessly. She immediately turned around to face Tails as I gathered Knuckles and Rouge. I set them on the side of the house in the garage, all in one second. Having supersonic speed has its perks. Tails was still shooting at her as Shadow came out from behind me.  
"Where are the treasure hunters?" He asked.  
"Had to forfeit, Knuckles got beat and Rouge isn't in full health either."  
"What happened to her?"  
"Went emotional after she saw what happened to Knuckles."  
"And what happened to him?"  
"Dunno, just found him with a huge gash in his stomach and covered in bruises."  
"Ouch."  
"Ditto. But with Tails brains and our speed, we can't lose!"  
"Whatever."  
"Buddy! Ot-gay ay lan-pay?" I yelled to Tails.  
"Yeah!" Then, I motioned for him to come over to me. He obeyed.  
"Shadow quick, before Tails gets over here, run around Metal Amy in circles!"  
"What kind of a plan is that?" He asked.  
"The best I can come up with right now! Go!" He obeyed also, after rolling his eyes at me. Tails is here. "Okay, Tails. What's your plan?" I whispered.  
"Okay, you two distract her on either side of her while I power up a Power Laser. After that, one of you can use my fake emerald to Chaos Control him to next week." He replied softly.  
"Gotcha. Couldn't do it without ya', lil' buddy!" Then I turned to Shadow who was still lapping Amy. "Shadow, you can stop now!"  
"Thank god." He said. "What's the plan, genius?"  
"You get on her right side and dodge any attacks she throws. We'll take care of the rest."  
"Okay." He went to his spot and I went opposite him. Tails then took the spot behind her and began to charge up his laser. The next thing that happened surprised us all. Metal Amy's arms actually extended out; her right hand grabbed Shadow's neck and lifted him into the air, and her left did the same to me. I couldn't breathe. I just whimpered, "Tails!! Urry-hay!!!" This was definitely one of Eggman's newer yet more brilliant ideas.  
"I'm tryin'!!" I heard him yell. Then I heard a click and I lost consciousness.  
(A/N: Shadow's POV)  
Amy's claws just gripped my neck and levitated me over the solid ground that I wish I was standing on now. I saw Sonic in the grip of her left claw, heard a click, and watched as Sonic lost consciousness. I struggled to break free from her grip, my hands over her claw. Then I noticed that the click had been Tails' laser finishing its charging phase. It immediately shot and I soon fell out of her grip as she was slowly devoured by the gargantuan laser.  
"Thanks Tails.." I said as I sat on the ground, rubbing my neck and taking deep breaths.  
"No time! Chaos Control! Now!!" Tails yelled as he tossed me his fake emerald.  
"CHAOS CONTROL!!!!" I screamed as Metal Amy was engulfed by the green light. When it disappeared, she was still there.  
"WHAT THE-?!" I thought aloud. Suddenly, the real Amy appeared behind me.  
"I guess you didn't know, Shadow, that I'm made of a special kind of metal that repels the energy of the chaos emeralds. And that includes your measly Chaos Control!!" Metal Amy informed us.  
Everything was getting weird. Sonic fell unconscious from a tiny strangle attack, Chaos Control wouldn't work, and now the real Amy was out here! What do I do now?  
"Shadow, I can help; or at least I can try." Amy told me as she put her right hand over the hand I was holding the false emerald with; which was coincidentally also my right. I looked at her for a moment and finally understood what she was saying.  
I raised my right hand.....  
Amy and I began to glow.....  
Finally, we simultaneously yelled, "CHAOS CONTROL!!!!"  
A blast bigger than before erupted from the emerald we held.....  
And Metal Amy was encased within the green blast.....  
Soon, the light dissolved and all that was left.....  
Was nothing at all. Metal Amy was destroyed. 


	9. Awakening from the Nightmare

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA. All drinks belong to their makers and "Saints and Angels" belongs to Sara Evans.  
  
Chapter 9: Awakening from the Nightmare  
(A/N: Back to third person narration. Very sappy content warning #2!!)  
A week after the incident, the gang was celebrating their triumph at a local dance club in Station Square.  
"So? Have you folks decided on drinks yet?" A bartender asked as he stepped up to the gang. They were sitting at the bar, Knuckles next to Rouge, then Amy next to Shadow, and finally, the handsome bachelor buddies on the end.  
"Yeah! I want a Cherry Coke!" Tails yelped.  
"I'll have a Diet Coke." Rouge called, raising her hand in the air.  
"Even though you don't need it. I'll have a Mountain Dew." Knuckles said.  
"Pepsi for me, please." Amy asked politely.  
"Coke over here." Shadow announced.  
"Dr. Pepper." Sonic stated proudly.  
"Okay, won't take a minute folks." The bartender said.  
"Neither will I." Sonic joked, but no one laughed.  
"Oh, you are so full of yourself." Rouge commented.  
Soon enough, the drinks were there. Before any of them could take a sip of their ice cold drinks though, the lights began to dim.  
"What's going on?" Amy asked curiously.  
Suddenly, a voice boomed over the intercoms that bordered the walls of the club. "We are now opening the Dance Floor to all customers. Kareoke is permitted also. Tonight's theme is Heroes' Themes!!"  
Before you knew it, people were flooding onto the dance floor and "It Doesn't Matter" began to play.  
"Excuse me guys, this is my song..." Sonic said as he approached the Kareoke mike in the back of the club. He sang to his heart's content and even stayed onstage to help Tails with his song, seeing as his was played next. When they got offstage, screaming girls, pens, and paper were surrounding them and the two seemingly disappeared, not to be seen for the rest of the night.  
"Well, there goes Sonic." Amy pointed out.  
"Go figure... Hey, Knuckles, isn't that your song?" Rouge asked.  
"Why yes it is," he responded as they walked up to the stage and sang. After they finished Knuckles' theme, Rouge's came on. So they stayed up there and sang that one too.  
Meanwhile, Shadow was staring down at the bar and wasn't smiling, as usual.  
"Shadow? C'mon, smile!" Amy encouraged. "Just one? For me?" He managed a smirk. "Well, that's a start. What's bothering you anyway?"  
"Nothing really. I just know that they'll play your song next, and then it'll be over. Mine won't be in there." Just then, "My Sweet Passion" began to play. "See?"  
"Hey! Why wouldn't they play yours? You saved us all from that ARK too, not just Sonic. I guarantee they'll play your song too! If not, I'll sing it for you!"  
"Thanks for your support Amy. But-" Finally, Amy's theme ended and "Throw it All Away" began.  
(A/N: I know I'm rushing the songs a bit, but they aren't significant enough to the story to waste time on. If you want them to last longer, play them for yourself.)  
"See! Told ya'! Now let's get up there! I wanna hear you sing!" By now, Knuckles and Rouge were back at the bar talking. Amy dragged Shadow up there and kept encouraging him to sing. Eventually he did, with Amy as his backup singer of course.  
Next they played Eggman's theme, but none of the heroes seemed to notice or care because they had just finished a battle with his creations. He was once again on the Dark side.  
Finally, there were no more songs to play and they began taking requests. Some young woman ran as fast as she could up to the request area and requested a different song. It was later identified as "Saints and Angels" by Sara Evans and was played.  
"Oh, it's a slow song!!" both girls seemed to cry out simultaneously. "C'mon, dance with me!" Both boyfriends agreed to it and stepped out to the dance floor. Rouge had already taken Knuckles dancing on many occasions, so this was nothing different. But for Shadow on the other hand, this was a first.  
"Uhh, Amy, I'm not quite sure, what I'm doing..."  
"It's okay Shadow! Just put your arms around my waist and I'll put my arms around your neck." At first, he hesitated. "Don't worry, I won't bite. Trust me, once you put your arms in the right position, it won't even feel like they're there." Then he did so and Amy showed him the dance steps. "Got everything?"  
"Yeah, pretty sure I got it."  
"Okay, let's dance then." With that, she rested her head on his chest and they began to dance.  
It felt so wonderful to Shadow, to be so close to the one he loved. He felt invincible, like he could take on the world. But one thing troubled him.  
"Uhh, Amy?"  
"Yes, Shadow.." Amy asked dreamily.  
"How is it that you were able to power up my Chaos Control all those days ago against Metal Amy? I mean, when did you even learn it? I thought that only Sonic and I could use that technique."  
"Well, I've watched you do it a couple times, so you could say that I had a good teacher. Plus, I'm a fast learner."  
"You can't use Chaos Control, can you?" Shadow asked flatly.  
"No. When I was there, I was trying to show that I supported you, show that I cared. And I was hoping that knowing that you could trust me and that I was safe would enhance the effort you put into the blast. I think the plan was a success."  
"Yeah. Thanks Amy."  
"For what?"  
"For any time I was upset and you were understanding, for any time I was grumpy or down and you cheered me up, and for everything you've already done for me and will do for me. I feel so honored to have found you.. I love you Amy Rose."  
With those last few words, the song ended and the dancers cleared the floor with the exception of Amy and Shadow. They felt like they were realizing their love for each other for the first time all over again, and an invisible spotlight shone on the two in their minds. They were the only two in the universe right now.  
"I love you too... Shadow" she said softly and slowly as she lifted her tilted head up slightly towards him, his doing the same downward. Soon enough, their lips met. And, unfortunately, just as soon as they had started it, they broke the kiss and continued to dance to a silent song that played to the beat of their simultaneously beating hearts. 


End file.
